About Me

Tierra Verde Handmade Soap

I’m a wife, mom, and a self proclaimed soap nerd with an entrepreneurial spirit-living in Lubbock Texas, (a place best known for our expansive horizon, cotton,and as the birth place of Buddy Holly.)I guess you might say I’ve got a serious addiction to all things soap related. Come hang out, as I share my adventures in a world where chemistry meets art.

Etsy Mini

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“Homemade soap feels good: soft, rich, enveloping, soothing. The lather is dense and penetrating rather than thin and airy. It leaves an emollient film on your skin that makes it feel soft and sensuous. Homemade soap is comforting in ways which manufactured soap can never be: its look, its weight, its bulk, how it feels in your hands, looks in its dish. There is something ineffable about homemade soap. It’s not homogenized, pasteurized, deodorized, sanitized or synthesized - it’s one of a kind, every bar different, each unique. It is idiosyncratic in the way of all homemade and handmade things.”

Ann Bramson

August 12, 2011

It is important to note, that I have very thick hair that is untreated-no color, no perm. I wash daily, dry and flat iron-my hair goes through a bit of abuse. I find it is most important to be able to comb through my kind of hair easily due to the thickness factor.Also, here in Lubbock generally water is quite hard-a factor to consider when looking at how a product rinses out of your hair.

The first package I received, was Amy's from Great Cakes Soapworks, many of you know Amy for her generous feedback relating to her soapmaking experiences. She is a gifted and talented maker of several Bath and Body products and even more importantly a very kind person.

First Impression-

My first impression of Amy’s shampoo bar was how nice the size seemed to be. I thought it must be perfect for the nimble dexterity needed to work up a generous lather for hair washing. The next delicious noteworthy quality was the beautiful aroma emanating from the bar-right off I detected lemongrass, but with a subtle zip of mint in the background delicious! I love the idea of something citrusy for my hair.

The shower-

Amy’s shampoo bar did not disappoint. The size was just a perfect fit for diligent lather action-lather was vivacious with a creamy conditioning feel to it and still my favorite element the scent is fresh and appealing. As I do with my shampoo bar- I used a rinse of Apple Cider Vinegar and water so as not to skew any results and because I find that is the secret to a clean rinse and easy comb out.

The comb out-

During the comb out/hair drying process I noted some areas of resistance. The comb did not go through my hair with the ease I have gotten used to. My hair seemed to revert back to the way it was in the beginning of developing my shampoo round-I believe this is not a formulary issue but perhaps a super fat issue. I found with the experimentation that I did regarding shampoo that a low super fat (even though it seems counterintuitive) is best for my hair.

Please understand that reviews are always very subjective and never the final word on how wonderful or not so wonderful a product is. I have come to the conclusion in participating in this review process that different shampoo bars meet different hair needs much like commercial shampoo products-there is no "one size fits all" formula out there.

I do think that for those who are really dedicated to using shampoo bars(as I am)you should try a few out to see which ones work best for your hair.I know there are many who have tried a shampoo bar once and didn't like it so they never consider it again-I would really encourage you to try again with a few that you think might work for you.They are all vary different in terms of performance,lather, scent just like any handmade soap-all formulas vary.